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Unit 9: Legal Descriptions > Notes > Flashcards

Notes Flashcards

1
Q

A detailed way of describing a parcel of land for documents such as deeds and mortgages that will be accepted in a court of law

A

Legal description

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2
Q

A legal description is based on information collected through ___.

A

Survey

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3
Q

The process by which boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and area to determine the exact location of a piece of land

A

Survey

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4
Q

In the context of legal descriptions, ___ means that the surveyor must be able to define the exact boundaries of the property

A

Locate

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5
Q

What are the 3 basic methods used to describe real estate?

A

1) Metes and Bounds
2) Rectangular (government) survey
3) Lot and block (recorded plat)

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6
Q

What is the oldest method of legal description, dating back to the 13 colonies?

A

Metes and bounds

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7
Q

What method of legal description relies on a property’s physical features to determine the boundaries and measurements of the parcel?

A

Metes and Bounds

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8
Q

A metes and bounds description always starts at a designated place on the parcel called the ___.

A

Point of beginning (POB)

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9
Q

A surveyor records a parcel’s boundaries in a metes and bounds description based on what 3 things?

A

1) Linear measurements
2) Landmarks (monuments)
3) Directions

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10
Q

Where does a metes and bounds description end?

A

Back at the point of beginning

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11
Q

___ are fixed objects used to identify the POB, ends of boundary segments, and location of intersecting boundaries

A

Monuments

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12
Q

Monuments are natural and artificial landmarks that identify what 3 things?

A

1) Point of beginning
2) Ends of boundaries
3) Location of intersecting boundaries

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13
Q

In a metes and bounds description, the actual distance between ___ takes precedence over any linear measurements in the description

A

Monuments

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14
Q

A tract of land located in Old Town, Liberty County, VA is described as: Beginning at the intersection of the east line of Jones Road and the south line of Old Road, then east along the south line of Old Road 200 feet, then south 15 degrees east 216.5 feet, more or less, to the center thread of Town Creek; then northwesterly along the center line of said creek to its intersection with the east line of Jones Road; then north 105 feet, more or less, along the east line of Jones Road to the point of beginning. What kind of legal description is this?

A

Metes and Bounds

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15
Q

Metes and bounds descriptions are used when describing which 3 things in Illinois?

A

1) Irregular tracts
2) portions of a recorded lot
3) Fractions of a section`

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16
Q

Who should be consulted for definitive interpretations on any legal descriptions?

A

Professional surveyors

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17
Q

The Public Land Survey System is also called the ___.

A

Rectangular survey system

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18
Q

This was established by Congress in 1785 to standardize the description of land acquired by the newly founded federal government.

A

Rectangular survey system (Public Land Survey System)

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19
Q

The rectangular survey system is based on 2 sets of intersecting lines called ___ and ___.

A

Principal meridians
Base lines

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20
Q

The public land survey system is based on 2 sets of intersecting lines called ___ and ___.

A

Principal meridians
Base lines

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21
Q

Principal meridians run in which 2 directions?

A

North and South

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22
Q

___ are lines running north and south

A

Principal meridians

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23
Q

___ are lines runing east and west

A

Base lines

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24
Q

Base lines run in which 2 directions?

A

East and west

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25
Q

Base lines and principal meridians are located by reference to…

A

degrees of latitude and longitude

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26
Q

Each principal meridian is crossed by a(n) ___.

A

Base line

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27
Q

How many principal meridians are there in the USA?

A

37

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28
Q

Each ___ and its corresponding ___ are used to survey a definite area of land, indicated on the map by boundary lines

A

Each principal meridian and its corresponding base line

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29
Q

In Illinois, locations are described by their relation to one of ___ meridians.

A

3

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30
Q

True or false, all 3 principal meridians used to describe location of property in Illinois are located within the state of IL

A

False

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31
Q

Once made, legal descriptions cannot be ___.

A

Changed

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32
Q

Lines running east and west, parallel to the base line and six miles apart are called ___.

A

Township lines

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33
Q

Township lines are ___ miles apart

A

6

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34
Q

Township lines run in which 2 directions?

A

East and west

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35
Q

Township lines form strips of land called ___.

A

Township tiers

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36
Q

___ are designated by consecutive numbers north or south of the base line

A

Township tiers

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37
Q

___ are designated by consecutive numbers east or west of the principal meridian

A

Ranges

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38
Q

The land on either side of a principal meridian is divided into 6 mile wide strips by lines running north and south, parallel to the meridian. These north-south strips of land are called ___.

A

Ranges

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39
Q

How many miles wide are ranges?

A

6

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40
Q

Ranges run parallel to the ___

A

meridian

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41
Q

Township lines run parallel to the ___

A

base line

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42
Q

Ranges run in which 2 directions?

A

east and west

43
Q

What are the basic units of the rectangular survey system?

A

Township squares

44
Q

Township squares are ___ miles square

A

6

45
Q

township squares contain ___ square miles

A

36

46
Q

How many acres in a township?

A

23,040

47
Q

A township’s legal description contains which 3 things?

A

1) designation of the township tier
2) designation of the range strip
3) Name or number of the principal meridian

48
Q

When “Township” is used by itself, it refers only to the ___.

A

Township squares

49
Q

Each township contains ___ sections

A

36

50
Q

How many square miles are in each section of a township?

A

1

51
Q

How many acres are in each section of a township?

A

640

52
Q

1 square mile = ___ acres

A

640

53
Q

Half of a section = ___ acres

A

320

54
Q

1/4 of a section = ___ acres

A

160

55
Q

Sections are smaller than ___

A

townships

56
Q

6 miles x 6 miles = 36 sections per ___

A

township

57
Q

1 mile x 1 mile = ___ square miles

A

1

58
Q

how many square feet per acre?

A

43,560

59
Q

How many feet in a mile?

A

5,280

60
Q

Undersized or oversized sections are called ___

A

fractional sections

61
Q

Areas smaller than full quarter sections are numbered and designated as ___ by surveyors

A

government

62
Q

___ lots can be created by the curvature of earth, by land bordering or surrounding large bodies of water, or by artificial state borders

A

Government

63
Q

To determine the location and size of a property described in the rectangular survey, analyze the legal description ___ to ___

A

Right to left

64
Q

Analyzing a legal description in the rectangular survey is similar to finding location using…

A

a mailing address

65
Q

The ___ parcel of land is at the end of a legal description in the rectangular survey

A

largest

66
Q

The ___ parcel of land is at the beginning of a legal description in the rectangular survey

A

smallest

67
Q

States using the rectangular survey system may also require a(n) ___ description when describing an irregular tract

A

metes and bounds

68
Q

States using the rectangular survey system may also require a(n) ___ description when a tract is too small to be described by quarter-sections

A

metes and bounds

69
Q

States using the rectangular survey system may also require a(n) ___ description when a tract does not follow the lot or block lines of a recorded subdivision or section quarter-section lines, or other fractional section lines

A

metes and bounds

70
Q

___ descriptions may be included in the rectangular survey system used in IL when describing irregular or small tracts

A

metes and bounds

71
Q

The ___ system uses lot and block numbers referred to in a plat map filed in the public records of the county where the land is located

A

lot and block

72
Q

A map of a town, section, or subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties

A

Plat map

73
Q

___ is also called a subdivision plat

A

plat map

74
Q

The ___ system is often used to describe property in subdivisions and urban areas

A

lot and block

75
Q

In describing a lot from a recorded subdivision plat, which 3 identifiers are used?

A

1) Lot-and-block number
2) Name or number of the subdivision plat
3) Name of the county and state

76
Q

Lot 71, Happy Valley Estates 2, located in a portion of the southeast quarter of Section 23, Township 7 North, Range 4 East of the Seward Principal Meridian in Pizza County, state of Illinois. This is an example of which description?

A

Lot and block

77
Q

Anyone attempting to record a document conveying land should consult which 2 people about the requirements involved?

A

1) Lawyer
2) County recorder

78
Q

In Illinois, under the ___, when an owner divides a parcel of land into 2 or more parts, any of which is less than 5 acres, the parts must be surveyed and a plat of subdivision recorded

A

Plat Act

79
Q

A licensed ___ is trained and authorized to locate and determine the legal description of any parcel of land

A

surveyor

80
Q

What 2 documents does a surveyor prepare?

A

1) survey
2) survey sketch

81
Q

A surveyor prepares a document called the ___ which states the property’s legal description

A

Survey

82
Q

A surveyor prepares a document called the ___ which shows the location and dimensions of the parcel

A

Survey Sketch

83
Q

A(n) ___ is a survey that also shows the location, size, and shape of buildings on the lot

A

Spot survey

84
Q

Once recorded, legal descriptions affect ___ to real estate

A

title

85
Q

Legal descriptions should only be prepared by a(n) ___.

A

professional surveyor

86
Q

___ are not a full survey, that is prepared in a shorter time frame and at a lower cost, and only provides the location of the structures and improvements as related to property boundaries

A

improvement location certificate

87
Q

___ are measured to determine the legal descriptions of air rights and condominium apartments

A

Elevations

88
Q

___ are composed of the airspace within specific boundaries located over a parcel of land

A

Air lots

89
Q

Owners may subdivide the air above their land into ___.

A

air lots

90
Q

Condominiums are usually ___.

A

air lots

91
Q

Air rights are measured ___ the datum

A

above

92
Q

Subsurface rights are measured ___ the datum

A

below

93
Q

Air rights are measured above the ___

A

datum

94
Q

Subsurface rights are measured below the ___

A

datum

95
Q

A point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured or indicated

A

Datum

96
Q

A surveyor uses a(n) ___ in determining the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street

A

datum

97
Q

The general datum used by IL surveyors is the ___

A

North American Vertical Datum of 1988

98
Q

The datum for Chicago is called the ___

A

Chicago City Datum

99
Q

___ are permanent reference points that have been established throughout the USA

A

Benchmarks

100
Q

___ are usually embossed brass markers set into solid concrete or asphalt bases

A

Benchmarks

101
Q

The purpose of benchmarks is to mark ___

A

datums

102
Q

___ have the purpose of marking datums

A

Benchmarks

103
Q
A

Unit 9: Legal Descriptions (2 decks)

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